


Not While I'm Around

by Ukume94



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Abuse, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Memories, Nightmares, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-05 17:30:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10313405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ukume94/pseuds/Ukume94





	

The sting from his heavy handed slap causes Carol to fall back in pain, landing on the floor she grasps onto her face not wanting little Sophia sitting upon her high chair; to see what her dad had just done.  
"Ed, not in front of Sophia." She begs as the tears fall down her cheeks.  
Little one year old Sophia screams in fear and cries loudly, large tears falling from her eyes.  
"Look what you did, you stupid bitch. You made Sophia cry! You're gonna fucking pay for that." Ed shouts slapping Carol once more causing her cheek to split open.  
Carol cries in pain, as the blood seeps from her new cut.  
"Go clean yourself up, a shut the fucking baby up!" Ed shouts walking towards the kitchen to grab his pack of beer and hide in the bedroom to watch trashy TV.  
Carol waits until he's hidden in the room to finally pick herself back up and grab Sophia from her high chair. All of Carol's life she was told by her parents that she deserved to be loved by a husband, treated like a queen. Her father always said  
Ed was a gentlemen when she first met him, very sweet and soft spoken.  
She met him in the DMV when she was a senior in high school, renewing her license. She ran into him while walking towards the desk when her number came up.  
She apologized many of times after she finally finished for her picture.  
Ed kept a smile upon his face as she stammered over her words.  
"What can I do to make up for my rude action?" She asked softly pushing back the strand of her curly auburn hair behind her ear.  
"You could go out to dinner with me." He said kindly.  
Carol blushed a bit embarrassed not expecting a date.  
Carol nodded shyly her face pink in excitement.  
When did everything change? Why did he have to become like this? She makes her way into the bathroom, while carrying a crying Sophia. Wiping away the tears from her small face.  
"Shh, Daddy is going to hear you and come back in here. I don't want him doing anything like this to you. Please baby, please be quiet." Carole whispers clutching Sophia to her chest, bouncing her softly to comfort her.  
After rocking Sophia for ten minutes she finally got her to fall asleep, while holding onto the baby; Carol cleans the blood from her cut. Ignoring the sting from the peroxide.  
Eventually she would have to get used to the sting since this abuse seems to be happening more and more everyday.  
Happy with how she patched her cheek up, she makes her way out of the bathroom and tiptoeing by the bedroom not wanting Ed to hear her walking by.  
"Carol!" Ed shouts angrily. Sophia jumps in her arms, waking up from her nap.  
She rolls her eyes, No such luck.  
"Yes, Ed?" Carol asks stopping near the door her voice shaking with fear.  
"I'm hungry, how about you start making Dinner since you don't do anything else in this goddamn house." He growls through the door.  
"Okay, I'll get dinner ready." She answers walking away from the door quickly. She places a fussy Sophia in her crib and begins to sing a lullaby.  


Baby mine, don't you cry.  
Baby mine, dry your eyes.  
Rest your head, close to my heart,  
Never to part, baby of mine.  


Little one, when you play,  
Pay no heed, what they say.  
Let your eyes sparkle and shine,  
Never a tear, baby of mine.  


If they knew all about you,  
They'd end up loving you too.  
All those same people who scold you,  
What they'd give just for the right to hold you.  


From your head down to your toes,  
You're not much, goodness knows.  
But, you're so precious to me,  
Sweet as can be, baby of mine.  


Carol finishes singing smiling as she watches Sophia breath slowly while she sleeps like the little angel she is. The sound of Ed storming out of the bedroom towards Carol, causes her to turn to see her husband with a clenched fist quickly making its way towards her face.  
"I thought I told you to start making dinner!" He growls punching her in the face.  


Carol sits up in her bed screaming with fear, looking around in fear as she blinks rapidly trying to figure out where she is.  
Placing her hand onto her chest she finally realizes where she is, the inside of the prison cell moon shining through the window. The others sleeping in their cells, peaceful and quiet.  
Carol tries to keep her tears from forming as she thinks about where she had come from since the shit hit the fan in the new world she now lives in.  
Walkers outside the walls of the prison eating people, an incurable infection causing people to die and turn into a brainless monster.  
Carol shakes her head hoping she didn't wake any of the others after she woke screaming. Knowing how horrible she'll feel if anyone woke with fright after hearing her have her nightmare. Looking up from her sheet covered legs she sees Daryl walking towards her cell door. His eyes filled with concern.  
"You okay?" He asks taking another step towards her cell door, he leans against the door frame watching her every facial expression while sticking both hands into his pockets.  
Carol nods softly as a tear falls from her eye and down her cheek.  
Daryl's eyes widen noticing her tear on her cheek.  
She wipes it away clearing her throat not wanting Daryl to see the pain in her eyes.  
"Hey, you can talk to me." He whispers watching the woman he's come to care about try to fight off tears.  
"There's nothing to really talk about Daryl, I just had a nightmare. Nothing I can't handle." Carol says trying to smile as her chin begins to quiver.  
Daryl sighs; deciding to leave his post on the door frame and make his way into her cell and taking a seat at the edge of her bed.  
"Carol, I know you." He starts glancing towards the quiet woman. "I get them too. The nightmares about the walkers." Daryl whispers softly.  
Carol glances towards Daryl, her eyes meeting his as the pain shows through her teary eyes.  
One look from his beautiful friend; he knows the nightmare wasn't about the walkers outside.  
He looks down clenching his fists in anger before taking a deep breath to calm himself, he turns to look the beautiful woman and places his hand on top of her soft hand.  
"I get those too." He adds his blue eyes gaze into her bright blue tear filled eyes.  
She nods trying to fight off her tears but failing as a sob escapes.  
Daryl normally never wants to be near a crying woman, only because it scares him. He never knows how to comfort a woman as she cries, if she want's to be held or comforted at the moment.  
His mother never wanted anyone to touch her as she cried, it was her way of feeling as if she were in control even as she cried.  
Daryl just never knew what to do.  
Until now.  
Daryl stands, placing his hand gently on Carol's shoulder to make her move over.  
Carol moves over in the bed clutching onto herself as she sobs.  
Daryl then climbs into her bed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She leans into him, her head landing onto his chest gently as she sobs into his chest.  
"Shh, it's alright sweetheart." He whispers leaning his head onto hers.  
Seeing her like this breaks his heart, she's so strong and such a fighter that he forgets she was once as small and quiet like mouse. He places his free hand around her waist as if to hug her, Carol snuggles closer to his body needing more of him.  
Her sobs begin to decrease slowly as she listens to the sound of his heart beating from under her ear.  
"I-I wish I was stronger then." She begins finally catching her breath.  
Daryl holds the woman closer to him, his hand gently beginning to rub small circles on her shoulder.  
"If you were stronger then, you wouldn't have learned the things you learned from your experiences." Daryl answers honestly moving his head to glance to her face.  
Her face pale from her tears, eyes puffy and nose bright red.  
"I understand that. I just wish I could have learned to fight back quicker. I was weak, a nobody."  
"That's not true, you were a mom. A very good one at that." Daryl answers glancing at the broken woman laying against his chest.  
" I wasn't to good, she ended up dying because I couldn't keep an eye on her." Carol's voice cracks as she remembers the day she lost her daughter and the day they found her.  
"None of that was your fault." He whispers moving his hand from her waist and placing it under her chin to turn her face to look towards him.  
"It was because I didn't teach her to not be afraid, I couldn't teach her because I myself was always afraid. How could I teach her not to be afraid when I was the worst." Carol says with tears falling from her eyes as she tries to look away from Daryl. Daryl's hand still grips her chin, keeping her face in place.  
"How could I be forgive for any of that?" She asks Daryl in a whisper.  
Daryl uses his thumb to rub the tears from her cheeks.  
"It wasn't your fault, you never knew something like that could happen. Sophia running off when the walker found her under the car had nothing to do with you." Daryl answers continuing to rub her cheek softly.  
Carol nods slowly, blinking back tears. Daryl lets her chin go and places his free hand on his lap.  
"I'm not the strongest yet. I'm still having trouble with shooting the gun just right and getting used to the kick back." She shakes her head looking down. "What if I'm still not as strong as I need to be, what if I find someone else like Ed?" She asks the fear in her eyes hard to look past.  
Daryl shakes his head, lifting his free hand and placing it into her hand.  
"Not gonna happen, I won't let someone else hurt you like that piece of shit did. Nothing is gonna harm you ever again, not while I'm around." Daryl answers truthfully.  
Carol looks to Daryl, his eyes focused on their combined hands.  
She smiles softly feeling safer then she's felt in weeks, changing the way their hands are held. Slipping her fingers through his, she notices the blush forming on his cheeks.  
"Thank you Daryl." She whispers leaning in and giving him a kiss on his jawline. She lays her head on his shoulder enjoying the feeling of being so close to him.  
Minutes pass, Carol's eyes begin to feel heavy with sleep.  
Daryl turns to glance towards her, seeing her as she nods off slowly.  
Daryl decides to move her to lay her back down on the bed, he starts to move off the bed when her hands grabs his arm.  
He looks to her, her sleepy eyes watching him.  
"Please stay." She whispers.  
Without a thought, Daryl begins to kick of his shoes. She scoots over more making as much room for him as she can. Daryl takes a deep breath before sitting back onto the bed and fixing his position until he's laying on his back.  
Carol moves closer towards Daryl, her body laying next to his warmer form.  
He looks down, seeing the woman falling asleep. A hint of a smile upon her face as she places her head and arm onto his chest.  
He smiles closing his eyes loving the feeling of her sleeping next to him.  
"Don't you worry Carol, ain't nobody gonna ever hurt you again." He whispers kissing the top of her head before drifting off to sleep.


End file.
